The Nicaraguan embassy in Panama has become a haven for corrupt officials. First, Ricardo Martinelli, and now there’s a new tenant. And of course, he’s a highly questionable man…

It’s Erasmo Cerrud, and yes, just like Martinelli, he’s also a fugitive from Panamanian justice, accused of fraud, money laundering, and criminal association. A reward of ten thousand dollars is also being offered for reliable information leading to Cerrud’s location and capture.

And of course, the Nicaraguan government opened its doors, granting him political asylum, as it has already done for other figures accused of corruption in the region.

Cerrud was known as a Panamanian union leader who, at one time, was seen as a defender of labor rights.

For several years now, Nicaragua has become a safe haven for questionable figures. Nicaragua has sheltered former presidents, businessmen, politicians, including the Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, and now trade unionists of dubious reputation who, like Cerrud, have been granted protection under political asylum, but this is only an attempt to evade justice and whitewash their image through a discourse of “victimization”.

Cerrud was Secretary of Defense of the National Union of Construction and Related Industry Workers (SUNTRACS). He worked actively defending the rights of workers in this industry, participating in protests and negotiations with companies and institutions.

Was it all a facade? Or did he at some point genuinely believe in the cause he claimed to represent?

Judicial investigations against him accuse him of diverting union funds for his benefit, maintaining suspicious bank accounts, and moving large amounts of cash.This episode is not an exception, but a confirmation that Nicaragua has become a sanctuary for the corrupt, a country where those persecuted by the law find protection if they politically align with Daniel Ortega’s policy.